Saturday, September 28
Martin, Tenn.
6 p.m.
UT Martin
vs
Murray State
UT MARTIN FOOTBALL SET TO HOST FAMILY WEEKEND WITH REGIONAL MATCHUP AGAINST MURRAY STATE
9/23/2019 3:03:00 PM | Football
Click the above image to view the weekly press conference with UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson.
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin football team will open its 28th season of Ohio Valley Conference competition with a matchup against Murray State on Saturday, Sept. 28. Kickoff from Hardy Graham Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. and is a marque feature of Family Weekend. The game will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+.
The Skyhawks (1-2, 0-0 OVC) are looking to pick up their second win of the season after suffering a pair of road setbacks at No. 11 Florida (45-0) and Southern Illinois (28-14) in consecutive weeks prior to the Bye Week.
UT Martin has relied on the play of freshman John Bachus III to lead the offense at quarterback. Bachus has completed 56.7 percent of his passes for 443 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in three career starts. Junior running back Peyton Logan paces the ground attack with 28 carries for 216 yards and three touchdowns while senior Jaylon Moore had tallied five receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown – averaging 24.7 yards per reception.
Defensively, junior safety JaQuez Akins paces the team with 31 tackles – including 20 unassisted stops. Senior linebacker TJ Jefferson leads the linebacker core with 29 tackles and one tackle for loss while senior Austin Pickett has a team-best three tackles for loss, including two sacks.
The game pits two of the league's veteran head coaches in UT Martin's Jason Simpson and Murray State's Mitch Stewart. Simpson currently ranks tied for sixth in OVC history with 81 career victories with Tennessee Tech's Don Wade. Meanwhile, Stewart has compiled a record of 16-31 in five seasons.
Murray State (2-2, 0-0 OVC) cruised past Morehead State 59-7 in its previous contest, tallying 566 yards of total offense in front of a record-setting crowd at Roy Stewart Stadium. The Racers are led offensively by the play of sophomore quarterback Preston Rice which has completed 71.6 percent of his passes for 824 yards and seven touchdowns while carrying the ball 45 times for 229 yards. Meanwhile, six different Racers have tallied touchdown receptions, led by the play of LaMartez Brooks with 10 catches for 254 yards and three touchdowns. On the defensive side, Anthony Koclanakis paces the team with 28 tackles, including two tackles for loss and an interception and fumble recovery each.
Saturday's matchup marks the 59th meeting between the two regional rivals in a series which dates back to 1924 with Murray State holding a 37-20-1 record. UT Martin has controlled the series for much of the past decade and a half, winning 11 of the last 14 meetings. The Racers have outmatched the Skyhawks in the last two meetings however, winning in 2017 and 2018 by a combined 10 points.
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Fans can also tune into WCMT 1410 AM/100.5 FM to hear Tom Britt (play-by-play), Chris Brinkley (color), John Hatler (color) and John Abel (sideline) provide analysis. WUTM, UT Martin's award-winning student radio station, will also broadcast the game on 90.3 FM. Links for both radio broadcasts, along with live stats can be accessed through their respective links above.
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin football team will open its 28th season of Ohio Valley Conference competition with a matchup against Murray State on Saturday, Sept. 28. Kickoff from Hardy Graham Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. and is a marque feature of Family Weekend. The game will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+.
The Skyhawks (1-2, 0-0 OVC) are looking to pick up their second win of the season after suffering a pair of road setbacks at No. 11 Florida (45-0) and Southern Illinois (28-14) in consecutive weeks prior to the Bye Week.
UT Martin has relied on the play of freshman John Bachus III to lead the offense at quarterback. Bachus has completed 56.7 percent of his passes for 443 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in three career starts. Junior running back Peyton Logan paces the ground attack with 28 carries for 216 yards and three touchdowns while senior Jaylon Moore had tallied five receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown – averaging 24.7 yards per reception.
Defensively, junior safety JaQuez Akins paces the team with 31 tackles – including 20 unassisted stops. Senior linebacker TJ Jefferson leads the linebacker core with 29 tackles and one tackle for loss while senior Austin Pickett has a team-best three tackles for loss, including two sacks.
The game pits two of the league's veteran head coaches in UT Martin's Jason Simpson and Murray State's Mitch Stewart. Simpson currently ranks tied for sixth in OVC history with 81 career victories with Tennessee Tech's Don Wade. Meanwhile, Stewart has compiled a record of 16-31 in five seasons.
Murray State (2-2, 0-0 OVC) cruised past Morehead State 59-7 in its previous contest, tallying 566 yards of total offense in front of a record-setting crowd at Roy Stewart Stadium. The Racers are led offensively by the play of sophomore quarterback Preston Rice which has completed 71.6 percent of his passes for 824 yards and seven touchdowns while carrying the ball 45 times for 229 yards. Meanwhile, six different Racers have tallied touchdown receptions, led by the play of LaMartez Brooks with 10 catches for 254 yards and three touchdowns. On the defensive side, Anthony Koclanakis paces the team with 28 tackles, including two tackles for loss and an interception and fumble recovery each.
Saturday's matchup marks the 59th meeting between the two regional rivals in a series which dates back to 1924 with Murray State holding a 37-20-1 record. UT Martin has controlled the series for much of the past decade and a half, winning 11 of the last 14 meetings. The Racers have outmatched the Skyhawks in the last two meetings however, winning in 2017 and 2018 by a combined 10 points.
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Fans can also tune into WCMT 1410 AM/100.5 FM to hear Tom Britt (play-by-play), Chris Brinkley (color), John Hatler (color) and John Abel (sideline) provide analysis. WUTM, UT Martin's award-winning student radio station, will also broadcast the game on 90.3 FM. Links for both radio broadcasts, along with live stats can be accessed through their respective links above.
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